The 2026 edition of MLB’s Rivalry Weekend came to an end on Sunday. Between the Subway Series, the Crosstown Classic, the I-70 Series and the Ohio Cup, among several other rivalry clashes, there was plenty of entertaining action across the league over the weekend.
Rivalry Weekend debuted last season, as MLB designated a rival team to all 30 clubs across the league and pitted them against one another in a mid-May series. This year was the second edition of the league-wide rivalry series, as all 30 teams took the field over the weekend.
In case you missed out on the action, we’ve gathered the wildest, most thrilling and the wackiest moments from this weekend.
Late-inning magic
Sunday was the series finale for every Rivalry Weekend clash, and there were some games that went all the way down to the wire. The Subway Series between the Mets and Yankees needed extra innings to reach a resolution, thanks to some clutch hitting from Tyrone Taylor in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Taylor was deployed as a pinch hitter against David Bednar with two outs and two runners on base. He delivered a game-tying three-run jack to force extra innings, where the Mets would tack on the game-winning run via a walk-off from rookie outfielder Carson Benge.
TYRONE TAYLOR TIES THIS BALLGAME 🔥 pic.twitter.com/3Ixo66O7ZE
— MLB (@MLB) May 17, 2026
That wasn’t the only late-inning magic we saw on Sunday. In the Crosstown Classic, Michael Conforto came up with a clutch hit of his own, ripping a three-run, game-tying homer in the top of the ninth with the Cubs down to their final two outs. That sent the game to extra innings at Rate Field, but the White Sox pulled away with a victory, courtesy of a walk-off, two-run homer from Edgar Quero, capping off the comeback for the South Siders.
THIS GAME!!
— MLB (@MLB) May 17, 2026
THE @WHITESOX WALK IT OFF 🤯 pic.twitter.com/N8Pz6V5Wx2
Great defensive plays
Rivalry Weekend brought no shortage of web gems, particularly during the action on Saturday and Sunday. First, Blue Jays infielder Kazuma Okamoto used both hands to make a spectacular running grab in the bottom of the fifth inning of Toronto’s 2-1 win over the Tigers on Saturday. Like a wide receiver making a juggling, contested catch, Okamoto got his glove on the ball in foul territory, popped it up to himself and then snared it with his bare hand.
Later that night, Julio Rodriguez gave Mariners fans, who ultimately went home disappointed after a 7-4 loss to the Padres, something to remember. Padres catcher Rodolfo Durán lofted a fly ball to deep center field, one that surely seemed to be headed for the seats. Rodriguez had other ideas though, as he jumped up and snagged the ball, robbing San Diego of a potential two-run shot and ending the top of the ninth inning.
NO FLY ZONE!!
— MLB (@MLB) May 17, 2026
Julio Rodríguez takes a home run away 🙅♂️ pic.twitter.com/19jgQhPw67
The crazy part? It may not have even been the best home run robbery of the weekend. That honor belonged to Rangers outfielder Brandon Nimmo, who not only robbed Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez of a home run, but he also denied an Alvarez jersey-wearing fan of a chance to catch a home run, though the flinching fan looked like she wanted no parts of the heat-seeking missile headed her way—and we can hardly blame her, given how Alvarez has been hitting.
Brandon Nimmo robs Yordan Alvarez of a home run! pic.twitter.com/xBvCDh3dNa
— MLB (@MLB) May 17, 2026
Sunday’s action also gifted us diving plays in the infield (Konnor Griffin), diving plays that saved runs in the outfield (Nathan Church and Trent Grisham) and an absolute cannon of a throw from Cubs gifted outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, who also got into it with a White Sox fan during Sunday’s game.
Not-so-great defensive plays
While there were plenty of defensive plays that wowed us, there were also several that made us scratch our heads. The Subway Series at Citi Field, while home to thrilling baseball this weekend, was also the site of some of the most egregiously bad defensive plays.
Yankees lefthander Carlos Rodon got the blooper reel started in the bottom of the third inning of Saturday’s Mets-Yankees game. Clinging to a 1-0 lead with the bases loaded, the count 1-and-0, and Mark Vientos at the plate, Rodon delivered a pitch that looked like something Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn would have thrown in the movie Major League: straight over catcher Austin Wells’s head.
But alas! The 97 mph fastball ricocheted so hard off the backstop that it popped up in the air, long enough for a hard-charging Rodon to believe he had a chance at redemption. The southpaw attempted to throw out Mets outfielder Carson Benge at the plate, but his throw sailed to another zip code, way to the right of Wells, allowing Benge and Bo Bichette to score, giving the Mets the lead.
Mets take the lead after Carlos Rodon tried to catch his own wild pitch but instead had another wild throw pic.twitter.com/ZonNpkjBCM
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) May 17, 2026
Perhaps Benge felt badly for Rodon, as he made a dunce cap-worthy play of his own later in Saturday’s game. In the top of the seventh inning with Aaron Judge on second and no outs, Cody Bellinger sent a routine pop fly to right field, one that had a measly 1% hit probability. But Benge inexplicably dropped the ball, allowing Judge to score to make it a 5-3 game. Fortunately for the Mets, they hung on to win 6-3.
Carson Benge just straight-up dropped this one. A routine fly ball with a hit probability of 1 percent. pic.twitter.com/9Y0KHfkQzy
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) May 17, 2026
It wasn’t the last time they were afflicted by a case of the dropsies, though, as Bichette also dropped a pop-up in shallow left field during Sunday’s eventual win over the Yankees, allowing Anthony Volpe to score.
The Mets ultimately got the last laugh, winning the series over the Yankees. But it was surely no thanks to their defense.
It’s a fake! Bobby Witt Jr. dekes Cardinals with ball trick
Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. was playing chess while the Cardinals were playing checkers during Saturday’s 4-2 loss to St. Louis. With two on, two out and the Cardinals up 3-1, St. Louis infielder Alec Burleson lined a ball to left field. Left fielder Issac Collins fired the ball into catcher Elias Diaz, who rifled it to third in an attempt to nab the Cardinals’ Ivan Herrera. The throw was errant and sailed past Witt Jr., who was covering third.
But in a stroke of genius, Witt pretended he had caught the ball and actually held his glove against Herrera’s body for several seconds in a perfect ruse. It worked to perfection. Despite Cardinals third-base coach Ron Warner desperately imploring Herrera to run home and Mason Wynn jumping up and down in an attempt to encourage the Cardinals baserunner to head home, Herrera had no idea what to believe because Witt had simply been so convincing.
Bobby Witt Jr. deked Ivan Herrera to save a run pic.twitter.com/A0B3fQjsVH
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) May 16, 2026
Somebody get this man an Oscar.
Tarps off, game on
The Cardinals got a big boost from their home crowd during the I-70 Series against the Royals. A few fans in the outfield, who are members of the Stephen F. Austin collegiate baseball team, removed their shirts and began waving them around. Before long, nearly the entire section was full of shirtless individuals excitedly rooting for the Cards, who pulled off a walk-off win in the 11th inning.
The Tarps Off crowd (@SFAClubBsbl) is here after a walk-off win in the NBCA Division II World Series in Alton, and yep, they propelled the #STLCards to another lead.@RegionalTVCat @STLSprtsCntrl pic.twitter.com/pveU9HQ09F
— Luke Slabaugh (@LukeSlabaugh) May 16, 2026
The crew of shirtless fans returned for Saturday’s game, after which Cardinals manager Oli Marmol invited the “Tarps Off Crew” to visit the clubhouse and meet the team.
The Stephen F. Austin boys didn’t return for Sunday’s game, though other Cardinals fans picked up the slack in their absence, recreating the topless scene in the stands once again.
It means more in New York
With both of New York’s teams facing off this weekend, Apple TV made the game accessible to anyone who was out and about in the city. Apple TV broadcasted Game 1 of the Subway Series on a billboard in Times Square, and a rather large crowd gathered on both sides of the sidewalk to watch.
Apple TV is broadcasting the Subway Series on a billboard in Times Square pic.twitter.com/SiVtrFxnlP
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 16, 2026
Only in New York.
Traffic in the bullpen
It’s a good thing the Pirates bullpen was locked in on the action on the field during Sunday’s game. In the third inning of Pittsburgh’s game against the Phillies, Marcell Ozuna launched a ball over the wall and straight into the Pirates’ bullpen, where reliever Yohan Ramirez proceeded to catch the ball inside a traffic cone.
Pirates bullpen caught a Marcell Ozuna home run with a traffic cone pic.twitter.com/GG2qrNM24U
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) May 15, 2026
The bullpen was fired up over the home run, but even more ecstatic that Ramirez managed to successfully come down with the ball while using the cone as a glove.
More MLB from Sports Illustrated
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- Clay Holmes's Devastating Injury Leaves Mets With No Easy Answers
- Six Reasons Why the Giants' Season Is Likely Already Lost
- Dalton Rushing’s Struggles Boiled Over With Bat-Related Self-Abuse
This article was originally published on www.si.com as The Wildest Moments From MLB Rivalry Weekend.
